Review

Jewish Noir II: A Five-Star Review

By Heidi Slowinski

Jewish Noir II is a collection of twenty-four stories from a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish writers focusing on topics including the resurgence of anti-Semitism in the US, the influence of stereotypes about certain Jewish communities on anti-Semitic attitudes, Israel’s ongoing legacy of regional warfare, the Jewish role in the civil rights movement, and many more, timely topics.

This is a brilliantly edited collection of writings. There’s some very real self-reflection in these pages from many of the Jewish voices included. The topics are well-presented and thought-provoking. This is a collection that had me reading, ‘just one more’.
There’s a nice emotional balance among the pieces without too much of anyone note. An injection of humor here and there broke up the more emotional stories. This would make for a great book club or study group text as each story easily lends itself to in-depth discussion. A skilled facilitator would have no trouble bringing texts from classical Jewish thought and other teachings to create a really meaningful study with this book.


Jewish Noir II is scheduled for release on August 23, 2022 and is currently available for pre-order. I’d like to thank Meryl Zegarek Public Relations for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.